An Inservice Project

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Other Issues When Teaching Adults

There are other issues that you will need to address as you develop your VPI program.  Adult educators long ago learned that adults evaluate programs with their feet.  If a program does not meet the learner's needs, the learner will leave the program.  In your VPI lab, it is important that you remember to:

• Make the learning environment comfortable, both physically and psychologically by checking temperature levels, seating arrangements, etc.
• Avoid long lectures where the learner is forced to sit for extended periods of time.
• Include opportunities for the learner to practice the new skill or apply the information in some format.
• Maintain the learner's self-esteem by providing opportunities for group learning, rather than singling out learners who may already have had negative experiences in the traditional classroom.
• Be cautious when asking the learner to take a personal risk in front of peers.
• Address the learner's expectations about the VPI program and clarify any misunderstandings the learner may have.
• Use the life experiences of the learner to convey information and knowledge to the class.
• Use open-ended questions to draw out relevant student knowledge and experience.
• Help the learner integrate new knowledge with previous knowledge and experience.
• Provide positive, reinforcing feedback to the learner about his/her performance.
• When working with adults, assume nothing.

OK, now that you know some of the things that you need to keep in mind, how do you individualize your VPI lab?

This program was developed by the State of Florida Adult Secondary/GED/VPI Committee of the Practitioners' Task Force, through an Adult Education State Leadership Grant from the Florida Department of Education, Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Education.

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this web-based training component, it is not an official publication of the Florida Department of Education.